Simple Truth

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of brand content for an in-home care agency. We have more than 325 locations across the US and Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Simple Truth?

When we initially hired Simple Truth, we needed help refining our brand voice.

We then reengaged the team to create more uniform collateral materials. We wanted to provide our franchises with a suite of materials to choose from, as this would save them time and also avoid inconsistent marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the first project, Simple Truth conducted consumer research and collaborated with a marketing research firm. They provided assessments of our user base and recommendations for user outreach.

Simple Truth then helped us with the collateral refresh project. We underwent a discovery phase, during which Simple Truth analyzed my company’s marketing materials. In order to effectively communicate what our company does, Simple Truth held a kickoff call with various stakeholders from our clinical team. They developed our strategy and redid our collateral system, which entailed copywriting and new designs and photographs. We launched the new materials in the fall of 2018.

Simple Truth is currently developing additional collateral materials as needed. We have plans to build a print and social ad library to coordinate our materials.

What is the team composition?

We work closely with Mande (Account Director, Simple Truth). She organizes the projects and coordinates their team. Kim (Creative Director, Simple Truth) manages the overall creative direction, and Sharon (Creative Director, Simple Truth) copywrites our materials and ads.

How did you come to work with Simple Truth?

Our CMO had previously worked with Mark (Partner & Executive Creative Director, Simple Truth).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our companies began working together in 2017. We have engaged Simple Truth in multiple projects, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

By creating a suite of collateral materials, Simple Truth has helped us to prevent brand dilution. We now have a consistent brand experience across all locations. We’ve had wonderful feedback from our franchises regarding the new collateral materials.

How did Simple Truth perform from a project management standpoint?

Mande is adept at managing time and the resources allotted to a particular project. The detail-oriented Simple Truth team is engaged and seeks to understand the core elements of each project fully.

Our teams deploy screen sharing. We also rely heavily on Google Docs to track our work. Their team puts copy changes on our Google Drive, and we review them and make real-time edits. We communicate via email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work is impeccable. They took the time to understand our specific healthcare category and relate to it; this personal approach has allowed us to reach customers in a very authentic way. Even though we concluded the collateral materials project several months ago, Mande recently contacted us to make sure our franchises were satisfied with the materials. Their service is truly top-notch.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although we did have some scope challenges, I believe these were primarily due to the complex nature of our industry and business. My only constructive feedback is that Simple Truth should ensure they fully understand the project and communicate when there is a need for adjustments.

Any advice for potential customers?

I don’t have advice so much as praise for the experience that we’ve had.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the marketing manager responsible for all agent marketing and sales support. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Simple Truth?

Simple Truth helps us create consumer collateral/POS materials, agent sales support materials, and billing communications.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to improve customer and agent experience using our brand’s voice.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The company had been relying on Simple Truth for many years prior to my involvement. They understand how to produce effective materials for our agent force.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They lead the strategy, design, and content efforts for building creative and integrated marketing solutions across our organization and on all business fronts.

What was the team composition?

I have worked with someone from every department of the organization at one time or another, from account management to strategic planning and creative services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The work is always delivered on time and it is well received by both our agents and our customers.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Simple Truth always has a positive attitude no matter how chaotic the project timeline may be. The account management team is very detail-oriented and their proactive communication helps manage expectations throughout the entire process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Simple Truth is a trusted partner we can rely on. Their responsiveness and flexibility make them a pleasure to work with year after year, and their highly collaborative nature always produces the most creative solution. I appreciate their willingness to listen, solve problems together, and build on feedback, all of which results in consistently strong work. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

Simple Truth delivers quality results; however, I find that leveraging strategic planning resources generates more insightful, unique, and innovative outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CMO at Baird & Warner. We’re the largest independent real estate company in the Chicagoland area. We provide residential sales, mortgage, and title services to buyers and sellers in the state of Illinois.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Simple Truth?

We wanted to establish a strong brand presence in the market. After experiencing mixed results working with another vendor, we were looking for a new partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They analyzed our current brand position in the market, looked at our history, and did a SWAT analysis. Our brand campaign is called EASIER, which conveys the message of us making the real estate experience easier. That has become a survey-based mantra that we wanted to develop further, so Simple Truth is helping us bring that to life. In addition to developing a brand strategy, they are helping us with digital and outdoor campaigns, as well as our social media–Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. They’ve also provided a step-by-step playbook for our offices and our real estate agents, designed all the creative, and produced several videos for us. We're currently producing a second set of commercials to go along with the brand campaign.

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with Mark (Drozd, Partner and Executive Creative Director, Simple Truth) and James (Maule, Account Director, Simple Truth). We also work with designers and strategy writers, so we usually have about five people who work on any piece of our brand.

How did you come to work with them?

When we were looking for an agency of record in the Chicago area, Simple Truth was at the top of our search. They're very strong in strategy development, copywriting, and creative execution, so we decided they would be a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $200,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them October 2016 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We have 2,400 independent contractors who have embraced our original EASIER brand campaign and use it in their own materials. We've also received great feedback from our office managers, who are a key component of our audience. Our field staff reports that our consumers are buying into the concept of real state made easier. We can tell that our digital and behavioral marketing campaigns have been successful based on the increase in the click-through rates. In addition, our company is doing extremely well from a financial standpoint.

They've delivered on every single aspect of the project, always putting their top people on our account. They don't delegate important aspects of the work to junior team members, and the same creative directors and leadership are always guiding the project. They're doing stellar work, and I've already referred them to our two other business units. We've just signed a contract for Simple Truth to do branding for those two branches.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They're exceptionally responsive, professional, and keep our project on track.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate that their work is consistently high-caliber. They absolutely understand, embrace, and live our brand–just like we do, which is pretty rare. They want the best for our brand, as if it's their own. Besides, their customer service is impeccable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Milhouse Engineering & Construction is a construction firm that provides services to a variety of public and private clients. I’m the former marketing manager and oversaw the company communications including proposals, site-content curation, social media accounts, and marketing materials.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Simple Truth?

Although our company was growing rapidly, our marketing materials and messaging did not keep pace. As a result, our materials lacked a cohesive message and look. We needed resources to refine our brand message and look so as we continued to grow our company could put out a consistent message and image.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They conducted a three-stage brand refresh. In the discovery phase, they assessed our company’s brand by conducting an internal workshop, employee survey, researching our competitors, and conducting client and stakeholder interviews. Next, they proceeded to the planning stage where they proposed a brand strategy outlining our goals and created a comprehensive roadmap for the engagement. For the final stage, they developed our visual look and messages, which involved creating visual templates, writing an elevator speech, and establishing the overall brand guidelines. They also compiled a brand guideline book. Currently, they’re supporting brand implementation and the development of marketing collateral.

What is the team composition?

The core team included five members: an account manager, designers, and writers. We worked primarily with the account manager.

How did you come to work with Simple Truth?

We looked at several companies to support our brand refresh. After receiving proposals from several companies and interviewing three, we felt Simple Truth had the best team and plan for helping us achieve our goals.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost $60,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work began in June 2017 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our CEO and executive team were extremely pleased with their work. Beyond the look and feel, Simple Truth’s branding truly encapsulated our company’s mission and culture.

How did Simple Truth perform from a project management standpoint?

They respected deadlines while remaining flexible to unforeseen changes to the timeline. They also excelled at maintaining communication throughout the engagement to keep us informed on the project status. Ultimately, this helped us understand the project deliverables and refocus our efforts.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciate that they didn’t try to impose their own views on us nor make the company something that it wasn’t. They really embraced our culture. Their ability to synthesize our company’s personality and bring it forward made them strong collaborators.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be engaged in the process to provide information and feedback. This allows Simple Truth to develop a cohesive brand that reflects the values of their company and facilitates a dynamic collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of Call One, a telecommunications company that serves mid-market businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Simple Truth?

We were looking for a company to help us with rebranding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a rebranding campaign, handling both the creative side and the online marketing strategy. They produced a new logo and brand expressions for us and also worked with a web design company to help us redesign our website.

What is the team composition?

We work with five members of their team.

How did you come to work with them?

They were a networking connection. We were interviewing several companies and we chose Simple Truth based on their portfolio and the level of attention they were giving us.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Everything they deliver is very high-quality. They fit into our company’s culture and fully understand the market segment we're trying to target. In addition, they're very personable and give us their full attention.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They're organized and meet our timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deliver on promises and produce a high-quality product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They can offer you a very interactive experience.